If you have been injured in a car accident and can’t work right now, you’re probably very worried about the future. Car accidents can result in serious injuries that affect your ability to do your job. In some cases, your work capacity may decrease, or you may not be able to work at all for the foreseeable future.
The road ahead could seem very stressful for accident victims in this situation. After all, how will you pay your regular bills – let alone pay medical costs for the care you need? In many cases, people who can’t work due to car crashes can recover compensation for their loss of work. To pursue your case, you should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer for advice on your specific situation. You may be able to recover compensation for lost wages, future lost wages, and other losses from the accident.
Compensation for Lost Wages
Car accident victims who can’t work may recover compensation for lost wages. You may miss a lot of work as you deal with the aftermath of the accident and seek medical treatment. Most jobs won’t pay much for missed days of work, leading to lost income on your part. To seek compensation for your lost wages, you and your lawyer need to make a demand to the people responsible for the accident. You will seek to hold this person or people liable for your damages. Holding them responsible may include pursuing a court case or agreeing to a settlement. To calculate the damages you will request, your lawyer will want to know the wages you lost due to the accident.
When you talk to your lawyer about lost wages, your first instinct may be to tell him or her your hourly rate or yearly salary. But don’t forget about special types of income such as overtime, bonuses, stock options, paid vacation days, and benefits. If you hadn’t been in the accident, you might have earned this income too. Tell your lawyer if you would earn any of these special types of income in a typical work day, week, or year. They should get factored into the amount of your damages.
Compensation for Future Lost Wages
Moreover, your lawyer may also advise you to claim future lost wages. When injuries from a car accident keep you from working into the future, your income suffers. Even if you are able to return to part-time or full-time work sometime in the future, you may have lost out on wage increases and advancement opportunities. For this reason, car accident victims often request future lost wages as part of a damages amount or settlement demand. Talk to your lawyer about how to determine the damages you may suffer in the future due to your inability to work.
What About Paying for Medical Expenses?
You can recover medical expenses as part of a personal injury case along with lost and future wages. Medical expenses should be included when you and your lawyer calculate your damages. You may have bills for doctor visits, ambulance service, prescriptions, physical therapy, and more. Hold onto the receipts to show your lawyer so you can request reimbursement for these expenses in your settlement demand or damages amount.
Can You Get Medical Leave, Unemployment, or Other Benefits After a Car Accident?
You may sometimes qualify for medical leave from your job due to your injuries from the accident. If you can’t work, check with your employer about the leave available to you. You might qualify for FMLA leave or paid medical leave. The available leave will depend on factors such as how long you have worked at the job and your employer’s benefits package. Moreover, you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits if you were injured while working.
If you lose your job or have to quit after a car accident, you might wonder if you can get unemployment. Typically, unemployment benefits eligibility requires that you are ready and able to work. If your injuries mean that you can’t work, you may not qualify for benefits. However, you might qualify if you can work in some capacity (e.g. part-time when you used to be full-time, or in a different position).
Even if you don’t qualify for unemployment, you might have short-term or long-term disability benefits available. Some people may have signed up for private disability insurance in the past, and some have benefits available through their employers. Be sure to figure out if you have access to a benefits plan that could help.
In addition, if you were fired from your job after the accident, you might have further recourse against your employer. Do you believe that when you tried to return to work, you were fired because of the disabilities you have from the accident? There is a possibility that you may have an employment law case for disability discrimination. Talk to your lawyer about this possible claim.
Our Personal Injury Legal Team Is Here For You.
If you’ve been seriously injured in a car accident and can’t work, you need legal advice about your situation from a knowledgeable personal injury attorney. Our firm helps injured car accident victims in Texas seek damages from those responsible. The lawyers at Duke Seth, PLLC can help you learn more about your options during a free consultation. Schedule your free consultation today—fill out our contact form or call (214) 965-8100 to get started.
